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The Istanbul-based graft operation-related news, including the reassignments executed within the Turkish national police, dominates the bulk of Turkish dailies on Friday.
Dailies divide in their approaches to handle the latest developments in the operation, which commenced on December 17 with the detention of a number of people. The Daily Zaman highlights the graft allegations that initiated the operation whereas Daily Star criticises the way the operation is executed by the prosecutors concerned.
Zaman headlines "[the allegations] Can't be covered up", reports the alleged graft costs the state economy over 150 million dollars. The daily also gives technical details on the background of the operation. The payment of bribes by Reza Zerrab to a number of people including top bureaucrats and sons of ministers was ascertained by a physical police chase, according to Zaman.
Star, on the other hand, headlines "Closed to the state, open to the 'cohort'", stresses that those conducting the operation did not inform any state institution. Star calls the operation a "local elections-oriented" one, pointing out that the upcoming local elections are due in March. The daily also describes the operators as an "illegal group" who behave in the manner of "a state within a state". Star says the group shared information on the operation only with their confidantes.
Daily Hurriyet highlights the confiscated goods of Baku-born Reza Zarrab, one of the central figures the operation targets: Hurriyet headlines "Gone are the horse, plane, portrait", listing some of Zarrab's extensive possessions that were confiscated. They include a private Challenger-300 jet, an English race horse named "El Ganador" and a portrait named "His own house" by Turkish artist Nazmi Ziya Guran.
Daily Milliyet shows the reassignments made within the police force on its frontpage, with the headline "Contra-assignment". Hurriyet says "The wind of reassignment transfigured into a hurricane of reassignment. The Istanbul police chief Capkin was discharged, and for the first time since 1978 a governor of a province was appointed to the position of a police chief." On Thursday, Istanbul police chief Huseyin Capkin was removed from duty to be replaced by the Aksaray Governor Selami Altinok.
The operation targeting Halkbank is given prominence by Daily Sabah on its frontpage. The daily headlines "Our secrets are underfoot", reports that the strategic secrets of the Turkish state are in danger as it reports a "databank" was also seized during the operation. Sabah says this databank was loaded with the financial operations the state executed via Halkbank.
One of the few papers that does not publish a graft operation-related main headline is Daily Haberturk. The newspaper highlights a tragic incident at the national assembly in which a pregnant secretary suddenly passed away.
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